Jo'Ey Stewart

Jo'ey Greenway Stewart was greatly loved by all who knew her. Our beloved Jo'ey, age 72, took her last breath Tuesday morning, August 18, 2020, surrounded by Jim, her husband of 25 years, her brother Lee, sister Debbie and best friend Rita Davidson.

Jo'ey was born in 1948 to Marie and Jewel Greenway in Los Angeles, CA. She attended grammar school in Orange Grove, CA and high school at Death Valley High School in Shoshone (where she rode the school bus 60 miles each way). Jo'ey has loving friends today from those high school days who remember her fondly as a very feisty redhead.

A few years and adventures after graduation she married her high school sweetheart Dennis Gardelius and they have one son, Doug, of Hood River. Jo'ey and Dennis lived briefly in Las Vegas and on the Oregon coast, eventually settling in the Portland Metro area. Her beloved Doug has special needs and Jo'ey devoted her life to his care and to improving treatment for children with autism. She was a fierce advocate and helped to create better living and work opportunities for those differently abled.

In 1976 Jo'ey joined the Multnomah County District Attorney's office as a legal assistant. She loved working with the law and our law enforcers, and by the late 1990s she was the Executive Assistant to Mike Schrunk, Oregon's longest sitting District Attorney. In this capacity, she managed human resources, labor relations, finance, IT, and staff ops for the entire office, retiring in 2006, after 30 years of service.

In 1995, she met and married her soulmate, dance partner and love of her life, Jim. She was so thankful for the beautiful, interesting, adventuresome, love-filled twenty-five years they had together. Jo'ey loved Jim's children as her own and loved spending family time with each of them. She was pleased they treated Doug as their own sibling. She loved and bragged about every grandchild and was very proud of each one's accomplishments. She cherished their individuality.

Jo'ey loved her 7- acre piece of heaven up the gorge highway where she and Jim created their home. She had chickens, bunnies, dogs, cats, huge gardens (enough to share with the deer and elk), lots of hummingbirds and wildlife. She liked to entertain and for a number of years she threw a Christmas party for over 150, with delicious foods, flaming Spanish coffees crafted by a Huber's bartender and everything beautifully decorated. The past few years, her annual family campout (15 or so) was held at their home. She was always delighted to have her loved ones near.

Close at heart were, as she called them, her "sistas of the heart", longtime women friends woven together by compassion, acceptance, honesty, trust, generosity, laughter and loads of adventures. Those people in your life who are always there when you need them without asking. Jo'ey had a knack for making and keeping lifetime close friends. She touched your soul; felt your heart and you were embraced by a warmth of her being.

Jo'ey was a warrior who battled and journeyed through cancer. Using an experimental procedure, she beat back myelodysplastic, a blood cancer and was declared free of it. A few years later, she entered a 5 ½ year battle with pancreatic cancer. As her beloved Dr. "Mac" said, "Jo'ey, if your body was as strong as your will, you would be well!".

Jo'ey Stewart, generous in all ways, kind, loving, courageous and determined. May we all remember her life motto - "do the right thing for the right reasons". She insisted we all remember the good times, events, interactions and stories - 'none of the sad stuff' is what she said. Jo'ey, you will be deeply missed and remembered by all who knew and loved you.

Jo'ey is survived by her mother Marie Greenway, husband Jim Stewart, sons Doug Gardelius, Dane (Susan) Stewart, daughters Amy (Scott) Thornson, Keri (Gabe) Armer, brothers Lee (Bonnie) and John (Becky) Greenway, sister Debbie Maki (Chris), brother-in-law Jerry (Laura) Stewart, sisters-inlaw Carol (Jim) Arroyo, Linda (Don) Stradley, nine grandchildren, numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Please join us to honor Jo'ey's life Saturday, Sept. 5, 2020. There will be a gathering outdoors at the Stewart home, Troutdale, OR and the Celebration of Life will be televised on Zoom. The Zoom presentation will start at 1:30 the Celebration at 2:00 p.m. Masks are required to attend in person. To receive the Zoom link, please send your email address to joeysmemorial9.5@gmail.com .

In lieu of flowers, Jo'ey asked that you donate to Finish Cancer-Providence Medical Foundation https://oregon.providence.org/ourservices/p/providence-cancer-center/cancer-center-funds/ or the National Autism Association https://nationalautismassociation.org/ or your favorite charity.